3 Easy Ways to Overcome Burnout

I have been a software engineer for over 10 years, and I have experienced burnout multiple times. During the early years, I wasn’t even aware that I was going through it. I simply believed that it was due to my own inadequacy, failure, poor time management skills, or being a bad engineer. Fortunately, I came to realize that burnout is a common and normal feeling experienced by everyone, and that each day and phase of life can be different for each individual. I still have occasional periods like this, where I don’t feel like doing anything, struggle to concentrate on work, and just want to pause and wait for these feelings to pass.

Lately, I have been able to overcome this situation more effectively. I achieve it through three simple methods. Let’s see what they are:

Learn to be open about your emotions and mood!

This is the first and most important step. We are all human beings, tiny creatures in this infinite universe, and we should accept our humanity. We should share the difficult periods we experience with the people around us, diminishing the weight of those feelings and normalizing them. If you, like me, are a reserved and introverted person who doesn’t enjoy talking much, it may be challenging. However, believe me, as you persist and believe, it becomes easier. Yes, it’s a slow process, but it works.

Seek support from your manager at work.

This may not be applicable in every workplace, and you may not feel comfortable discussing it with every manager. I agree. Because I have witnessed situations where people’s openness was used against them. This is a topic that should be addressed in itself. However, assuming that your workplace is not like that and that you have a relationship based on trust with your manager, talking to them and your colleagues about your situation can be beneficial. I have tried it a few times, and it made me feel better. In fact, after learning that my other colleagues were going through similar processes, I felt even better.

Take a break and clear your mind.

Vacations are the rights granted to us by the government for our mental well-being and for us to have fun and relax. Most people are not good at using their vacation time. I admit that I learned this very late as well. But eventually, I realized that the more vacation time I took and the more I enjoyed my time off, the more engaged I became in my work. I noticed that I missed working after my vacations, felt more motivated, and became more productive. Trying this will also benefit you.

I hope this article is helpful to you. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!”